Squirrelinator Trap How to Get Rid of Ground Squirrels

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I Caught 32 Ground Squirrels with the Squirrelinator Trap!

In July 2021, my summer garden was in full production, but I never could manage to harvest any lemon cucumbers or tomatoes. I had plenty of blooms but never got any fruits.

I figured I must have had a pest issue of some sort. I thought it was some bug, but I was wrong!

About this same time, every time I went outside, I saw a ground squirrel or two, I didn’t see the ground squirrels IN my garden, but I did see the ground squirrels between my garden and the barn.

When the squirrels saw me, they’d look at me and then run to the barn.

I have the ground squirrel circled in the photo above, and to the left, near the hay pile, you can see the Squirrelinator Trap in action.

One day I was watering our cattle out by the barn and found a small cherry tomato on the ground. I knew I didn’t drop it, and I didn’t think my husband dropped it.

It was then that I noticed a lot of ground squirrel holes behind my barn. I was dealing with a ground squirrel infestation!

It turns out ground squirrels were robbing my garden! They were the reason I wasn’t getting lemon cucumbers or tomatoes!

I came into the house, got online, and read about how destructive ground squirrels can be and how they can ruin building foundations.

I decided to get rid of the ground squirrels before they ruined my buildings.

How to Get Rid of Ground Squirrels

There are many ways to get rid of ground squirrels, and here are some of the more popular methods.

• Poison with Ground Squirrel Bait – Poisoning ground squirrels is most effective in late summer when food supplies aren’t readily available. Setting up a ground squirrel bait station is fast and highly effective.
  • Don’t use poison if there’s a chance young children can get into it.
  • I have dogs, free ranging chickens, and a few community cats that hang around my barn, so poisoning the ground squirrels wasn’t an option.
  • Bait stations will keep animals safe from eating the poison but you have worry about animals getting the dead poisoned ground squirrels and becoming poisoned themselves.
• Gas Poisoning (Fumigation) – Use carbon monoxide poisoning to kill ground squirrels. In the past I have used flares to kill gophers but I’m not sure if it worked or not. These flares have good reviews.
  • This is the method of killing ground squirrels that vineyards use. You can wipe out a lot of squirrels easily by poisoning them with engine exhaust.
• Set out Decoys – Realistic plastic owls, hawks, coyotes, etc. Some people swear by using decoys to deter ground squirrels from moving in and setting up colonies. Does it work? I’m not sure but it’s worth reading more about.
• Hunting Ground Squirrels – Depending on where you live, and your local hunting regulations this may or may not be a solution.
  We ended up shooting two exceptionally smart ground squirrels who would NOT go into the squirrelinator.
• Ground Squirrel Repellents – An easy solution and clean solution. These repellents have great reveiws.
• Habitat Modification – Covering up ground squirrel holes. Squirrels can uncover holes quickly. If you had a backhoe to break up their underground nests, this may be effective if you dig down at least 20″.
• Ground Squirrel Trap – I’ve tried two different traps. A ground squirrel trap similar to this one that I purchased at Home Depot didn’t catch anything and the other trap, the Squirrelinator trapped 32 ground squirrels!
• Gum – Killing ground squirrels with gum doesn’t work. Placing gum down the ground squirrel hole will just annoy the squirrels.
• Coffee Grounds – This doesn’t work either.

The control of ground squirrels in California is important in two ways. First, it is necessary to prevent destruction of agricultural crops. Second, it is important from a health standpoint where rodent-borne diseases have been demonstrated to be present.

Richard H. Dana, California Department of Agriculture

How to Get Rid of Ground Squirrels

How effective is each method of getting rid of ground squirrels?

What is a Squirrelinator Trap?

The Squirrelinator trap is a metal trap.

There are two doors on the sides – These doors are where the squirrels go in but cannot get out.

There is another door on top of the trap for easy squirrel removal.

Before setting the trap, make sure the top door is shut, or the squirrels will escape.

Baiting the Squirrelinator Trap

Bait (I use chicken scratch and a little peanut butter) is placed under the trap’s center.

I dig a tiny hole in the ground about the size of a 1/4 measuring cup.

Put the bait in this little hole and then place the trap on top of the bait.

The little hole helps stop birds from robbing the bait.

Here’s a video where I caught three ground squirrels in the Squirrelinator.

In the video, you can see some of the holes the squirrels have made in our pasture. This is a small sample of the damage these ground squirrels have done.

Get a Squirrelinator Trap by Rugged Ranch

Where can you purchase the Squirrelinator trap?

• Squirrelinator is for sale on Amazon
• You can buy a Squirrelinator on eBay with the basin!

Which Squirrelinator Model Should You Buy? What is the Basin?

Squirrelinators come in two models.

1. Squirrelinator Trap with Basin – This is the model I highly recommend and what I have!
2. Without the basin
   • The basin is used to drown the trapped ground squirrels.
   • If you don’t purchase the Squirrelinator with basin, you will have to figure out another method to dispatch the trapped squirrels.

Do NOT Relocate Trapped Ground Squirrels

Please do NOT relocate the ground squirrels. This practice is illegal in many areas.

Do NOT pass your ground squirrel problem on to others.

Most relocated ground squirrels do NOT survive. So the humane thing to do is to put them down.

Squirrelinator Reviews – What are People Saying?

“I caught 32 ground squirrels thanks to the Squirrelinator!”

Shelly @ Heavns.com

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“5 yesterday. 5 again today. Only one earlier in the Spring. One last year. I know why we are on a roll. It’s because I put down a small piece of plywood under it. A flat surface. Bait with Chicken scratch in the center. Stay away all day. Check at dusk. Then to the tank they go. They have damaged our barns & foundations.”

Linda Davis

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How to Use a Squirrelinator Trap

1. Find a level spot to place the trap.
2. Make sure the top door is latched closed so ground squirrels do NOT escape.
3. Dig a little intent in the ground for the bait (this step is optional but helps to stop birds from reaching into the trap and robbing your bait.
4. Place bait (I have used: chicken scratch, sweet all stock feed, sun flower seeds and/or a tablespoon of peanut butter).
5. Place squirrelinator trap on top of bait. Make sure bait is in the center of the trap.
6. Leave the trap and let it do it’s magic.
7. Check trap at dusk.

How to Make Your Own Squirrelinator Trap

Here is a cool video of how to make your own repeating ground squirrel trap.

Even if you don’t end up making a squirrel trap, this video will give you a good idea of what the Squirrelinator is like.

A repeating ground squirrel trap is the way to go. With a repeating trap, you can catch multiple squirrels throughout the day.

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